4. No Night is Too Long by Barbara Vine

I had been thinking about this book since December, when I read The Minotaur by Vine. Ruth Rendell has been one of my favorite authors for many years and I especially like her psychological novels written under her pseudonym Barbara Vine. I kept remembering this book (I originally read it years ago) because unlike her previous books which are set in England, a large portion of this novel is set in Alaska.

Tim Cornish lives in a nameless town on the Suffolk coast. While in school studying creative writing, he meets paleontologist Ivo Steadman and falls in love with him. When Ivo must travel to Alaska to give a series of lectures on a tour ship, he makes the mistake of insisting Tim travel with him. However, Ivo miscalculates the cruise schedule, and leaves Tim alone in Juneau for two weeks. During this time, Tim falls in love with Isabel Winwood, and wants to break off his relationship with Ivo. When Ivo comes back to take Tim on their joint cruise, Ivo cannot accept the fact that Tim wants to end their relationship. During a heated argument on a desolate island, Tim knocks Ivo unconscious and leaves him for dead. So, how does that explain the letters from America sent mysteriously to Tim afterwards that are about people left alone on islands?

I did not remember much about this book, but enjoyed re-reading it. Although readers think they know how it will turn out, like most of Rendell’s books, she keeps you guessing until the end.